This invention relates to a bending system on a bending machine for bending rod shaped and/or bar-shaped workpieces and especially pipes, and employing at least one multilevel bending tool that features several bending levels situated one above the other in the direction of a bending axis. The system includes for each bending level a bending die and, associated with the respective bending die, at least one clamping jaw that can be moved in the transverse direction of the bending axis between at least one operating position next to the bending die and at least one idle position at a distance from the bending die, with the clamping jaw or jaws on the side facing away from the bending die or dies effectively braced in the transverse direction of the bending axis by a clamping jaw support unit that is movable in the transverse direction of the bending axis. In addition, a bending die and at least one slide rail are provided for each bending level for bracing the workpiece in the transverse direction of the workpiece, and the side rail or rails are effectively mounted on a slide rail support in the transverse direction of the workpiece on the side facing away from the workpiece. The invention also relates to clamping jaw support units as well as slide rail support units for bending systems of the type referred to above.
Bending systems in this general category have been described in German Patent 33 27 509 C2. In the prior art multilevel bending tools the clamping jaws are mounted, on the side facing away from their respectively associated bending dies, on a single unit buttress block in the transverse direction of the bending axis of the multilevel bending tool. Accordingly, the slide rails in the prior art multilevel bending tools are supported in the transverse direction of the workpiece. Each buttress block extends across all bending levels of the multilevel bending tool concerned.
It is the objective of this invention to add flexibility to the design of such earlier bending systems.